Method and apparatus to select coding mode

ABSTRACT

Briefly, an apparatus and method that may adaptively select a coding mode of an OFDM sub-carrier symbol of a data stream according to a received channel state information related to the OFDM sub-carrier.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In wireless local area network (WLAN) communication systems, forexample, local area network (LAN), radio transmitters may transmitand/or receive radio frequency (RF) signals through one or moreantennas. Some wireless communication devices may include multipleantennas, for example two or more antennas. Those wireless communicationdevices may include multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) modulationand/or coding to control receiving and transmitting of RF signalsthrough the multiple antennas.

MIMO system may include a diversity MIMO system or multiplexing MIMOsystem. In the diversity MIMO system incoming bits may be coded overmultiple transmitting antennas to gain sensitivity by exploiting multipath propagation channel property. In the multiplexing MIMO system themultiple transmitting antennas may be used to convey multiple modulatedstreams of data. In this MIMO system spatial decoding methods may beused to decode the modulated data streams.

MIMO system may use orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)systems coding for multiplexing or diversity evenly on the entire OFDMsymbol without any discrimination. A failure to multiplex in at leastsome sub-carries OFDM symbol may cause the entire symbol to be in error.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed outand distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification.The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation,together with objects, features and advantages thereof, may best beunderstood by reference to the following detailed description when readwith the accompanied drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a portion of WLAN communication systemaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a transceiver according to exemplaryembodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is an illustration of OFDM sub-carrier symbols according toexemplary embodiments of the present invention.

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration,elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale.For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggeratedrelative to other elements for clarity. Further, where consideredappropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures toindicate corresponding or analogous elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are setforth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention.However it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art thatthe present invention may be practiced without these specific details.In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components andcircuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure thepresent invention.

Some portions of the detailed description, which follow, are presentedin terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations ondata bits or binary digital signals within a computer memory. Thesealgorithmic descriptions and representations may be the techniques usedby those skilled in the data processing arts to convey the substance oftheir work to others skilled in the art.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the followingdiscussions, it is appreciated that throughout the specificationdiscussions utilizing terms such as “processing,” “computing,”“calculating,” “determining,” or the like, refer to the action and/orprocesses of a computer or computing system, or similar electroniccomputing device, that manipulates and/or transforms data represented asphysical, such as electronic, quantities within the computing system'sregisters and/or memories into other data similarly represented asphysical quantities within the computing system's memories, registers orother such information storage, transmission or display devices. Inaddition, the term “plurality” may be used throughout the specificationto describe two or more components, devices, elements, parameters andthe like. For example, “plurality of mobile stations” describes two ormore mobile stations.

It should be understood that the present invention may be used in avariety of applications. Although the present invention is not limitedin this respect, the circuits and techniques disclosed herein may beused in many apparatuses such as transmitters of a radio system.Transmitters intended to be included within the scope of the presentinvention may include, by way of example only, wireless local areanetwork (WLAN) transmitters, two-way radio transmitters, digital systemtransmitters, analog system transmitters, cellular radiotelephonetransmitters and the like.

Types of WLAN transmitters intended to be within the scope of thepresent invention include, although are not limited to, transmitters fortransmitting spread spectrum signals such as, for example, FrequencyHopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS), Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) transmitters, MIMOtransmitters, and the like.

Some embodiments of the invention may be implemented, for example, usinga machine-readable medium or article which may store an instruction or aset of instructions that, if executed by a machine (for example, by astation of WLAN, and/or by other suitable machines), cause the machineto perform a method and/or operations in accordance with embodiments ofthe invention. Such machines may include, for example, any suitableprocessing platform, computing platform, computing device, processingdevice, computing system, processing system, computer, processor, or thelike, and may be implemented using any suitable combination of hardwareand/or software. The machine-readable medium or articles may include,for example, any suitable type of memory unit, memory device, memoryarticle, memory medium, storage device, storage article, storage mediumand/or storage unit, for example, memory, removable or non-removablemedia, erasable or non-erasable media, writeable or re-writeable media,digital or analog media, hard disk, floppy disk, Compact Disk Read OnlyMemory (CD-ROM), Compact Disk Recordable (CD-R), Compact DiskRewriteable (CD-RW), optical disk, magnetic media, various types ofDigital Versatile Disks (DVDs), a tape, a cassette, or the like. Theinstructions may include any suitable type of code, for example, sourcecode, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, static code,dynamic code, or the like, and may be implemented using any suitablehigh-level, low-level, object-oriented, visual, compiled and/orinterpreted programming language, e.g., C, C++, Java, BASIC, Pascal,Fortran, Cobol, assembly language, machine code, or the like.

Turning to FIG. 1, a wireless communication system, for example WLAN100, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, isshown. Although the scope of the present invention is not limited inthis respect, WLAN 100 may include station (STA) 150, station (STA) 120and access point (AP) 110. According to embodiments of the invention, atleast some of the WLAN stations and APs for example, stations 120, 150and AP 110 may include a MIMO system and at least two antennas.

Although the scope of the present invention-is not limited in thisrespect, at least one transmitter among transmitters of stations 120and/or 150 and/or AP 110 may be configured to adaptively code asub-carrier either in diversity mode or in the multiplexing modeaccording to the sub-carrier channel state information (CSI), ifdesired.

Turning to FIG. 2, a block diagram of a transceiver 200 according toexemplary embodiments of the present invention is shown. Although thescope of the present invention is not limited in this respect,transceiver 200 may include MIMO system 210 and antennas 220 and 230.Although the scope of the present invention is not limited in thisrespect, exemplary MIMO system 210 may include a transmitter system 240and receivers (RX) 250, 260. In some embodiments of the invention, atleast on of the receivers 250, 260 may include carrier channel stateinformation (CSI) analyzer 255, if desired.

Although the scope of the present invention is not limited in thisrespect, transmitter system 240 may include an encoder 241, a selector242, mappers 243, 244, a mode selector 270 and Inverse Fast FurrierTransformer transmitters (IFFT TX) 246, 248. In addition, mode selector270 may include a delay (D) 272 and a switch (SW) 274, if desired.

Although the scope of the present invention is not limited in thisrespect, a data stream that may include two or more bits B, may beinputted to encoder 241. Although the scope of the present invention isnot limited in this respect, encoder 241 may be a convolution codeencoder, a Turbo encoder, a Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC) encoder, orthe like. In embodiments of the invention encoder 241 may encode thedata stream. The encoded data stream may be inputted to selector 242. Insome embodiments of the invention selector 242 may provide at least twodata streams B¹ _(n) and B² _(n) wherein the superscript number (e.g. 1,2) may be the number of the data stream and the subscript number (e.g.n) may be the bit number of the data stream.

Although the scope of the present invention is not limited in thisrespect, mappers 243 and 244 may received the data streams B¹ _(n) andB² _(n), respectively, and may provide two or more OFDM sub-carriers,symbols S¹ and S², if desired. For example, in some embodiments of theinvention mappers 243 and 244 may map OFDM sub-carriers symbols frombinary domain to a complex domain. For example, symbol (e.g. encoded inrate ½) “00” may be mapped to 0⁰ (e.g. 1+j*0), symbol “01” may be mappedto 90⁰ (e.g. +j), symbol “10” may be mapped to 180⁰ (e.g. −1+j*0) andsymbol “11” may be mapped to 270⁰ (e.g. 1−j).

Although the scope of the present invention is not limited in thisrespect, the OFDM sub-carriers symbols (e.g. S¹ and S²) may be inputtedto coding mode selector 270. In some embodiments of the invention,coding mode selector 270 may adaptively select a coding mode of the OFDMsub-carrier symbols according to a received CSI which relates to theOFDM sub-carrier. In those embodiments, coding mode selector 270 mayadaptively code the OFDM sub-carrier either in diversity mode or in themultiplexing mode, if desired.

Although the scope of the present invention is not limited in thisrespect, in some embodiments of the invention, CSI may be received, forexample, from AP 110, or from at least one of stations 150 and/or 120.RX 250 may receive the CSI and CSI analyzer 255 may analyze the receivedCSI. In addition, CSI analyzer 255 may alternate switch (SW) 274 toprovide symbols with delay (e.g. diversity mode) or symbols from mapper244 (e.g. multiplexing mode) to IFFT TX 248, if desired. In someembodiments of the invention, the analyzed information that may be, forexample, eighen-channel value, a signal to noise ratio (SNR) or thelike. In other embodiments of the invention, CSI analyzer 255 mayanalyze the transmitted OFDM sub-carrier symbol for example, based onchannel estimation and/or SNR of the estimated channel, if desired.

Although the scope of the present invention is not limited in thisrespect, CSI analyzer 255 of RX 250 and/or RX 260 may receive amodulated signal from at least one of the WLAN stations and may estimatethe CSI according to the following function, if desired:${H^{*}H} = {{\begin{bmatrix}h_{11} & h_{12} \\h_{21} & h_{22}\end{bmatrix}^{*}\begin{bmatrix}h_{11} & h_{12} \\h_{21} & h_{22}\end{bmatrix}} = {{Q\begin{bmatrix}\lambda_{1} & \quad \\\quad & \lambda_{2}\end{bmatrix}}Q^{H}}}$wherein,

-   -   H*H may describe the CSI matrix;    -   h—may describe the channel;    -   Q—may describe an eighen-channel matrix; and    -   X—may described an eighen-value that may be equivalent to the        SNR.

Although the scope of the present invention is not limited in thisrespect, in an exemplary n×m MIMO system, n may be the number oftransmitters, m may be the number of receivers and the maximum dimensionof CSI matrix H*H may be calculated according to the following equation:p=dim(H*H′)<=min(n,m). In addition, the CSI matrix may support up topspatial eighen-channels (e.g. orthogonal channels), for example, the CSImatrix may support up to p order of OFDM symbols in multiplexing mode,if desired. In addition, the ability of transmitter system 240 tooperate in multiplexing mode may be tested by choosing the number ofeighen-channels that support the sensitivity required for transmittingin multiplexing mode.

Although the scope of the present invention is not limited in thisrespect, CSI analyzer 255 may analyze the CSI and may command modeselector 270 to select the desired coding method, for example, diversitymethod, multiplexing method or the like. In some embodiments, CSIanalyzer 255 may provide indication to switch 274 to select themultiplexing mode, if k,mux OFDM sub-carrier symbols may support p,minmultiplexing order. In those embodiments, the sub-carrier symbols thatsupport the p,min multiplexing order may be transmitted in themultiplexing mode and the other sub-carriers symbols may be transmittedin diversity mode. In embodiments of the invention, a single bit may beused to switch between the modes. For example, “1” may indicate toswitch transmitter system 240 to multiplexing mode and “0” may indicateto switch transmitter system 240 to diversity mode, although the scopeof the invention is not limited in this respect.

Although the scope of the present invention is not limited in thisrespect, IFFT TX 246 may transmit OFDM sub-carrier symbols S₁ viaantenna 220 and IFFT TX 248 may transmit the OFDM sub carrier symbolseither in diversity mode and/or in multiplexing mode (e.g. S₂) viaantenna 230. Although the scope of the present invention is not limitedin this respect, antenna 220 and/or antenna 230 may include an internalantenna, or an omni-directional antenna, or a monopole antenna, or adipole antenna, or an end fed antenna or a circularly polarized antenna,or a micro-strip antenna, or a diversity antenna, a dual antenna, anantenna array or the like.

Although the scope of the present invention is not limited in thisrespect, in another embodiment of the invention, transmitter system 240may transmit coding grouping information (CGI) to a receiver of otherstation. For example, the CGI may include coding information that may berelated to OFDM sub-carrier (k). For example, CGI may include a singlebit (e.g. “1”=multiplexing mode, “0”=diversity mode) that may bedescribed by the decoding mechanism.

Although the scope of the present invention is not limited in thisrespect, for example, in a receiver of MIMO system OFDM sub-carrierssymbols may be grouped into at least two sub-modes, according to thetransmitter decoding information. In some embodiments of the invention,the “1's” sub-carriers may be decoded according to multiplexing codedecoding scheme such as, for example Minimum Mean Squared Error (MMSE)or the like and “0's” sub-carriers may be decoded according to diversitycoding schemes such as, for example, maximal ratio combining (MRC) orthe like.

In embodiments of the invention, a feedback data packet may be sent froma receiving station to a transmitting station. The feedback data packetmay include control bits such as, for example, the CGI that may includethe coding information of the OFDM sub-carrier symbol. In someembodiments of the invention, in order to decrease the number of CGIbits in the feedback packet, the OFDM sub-carrier symbols may be dividedinto predefined sub-groups wherein, a single CGI bit may be dedicated toa sub-group and/or to a number of sub-groups, if desired. In thoseexemplary embodiments of the invention, the number of coding informationbits may be proportional to the number of the predetermined sub-groups.For example, a group of 54 sub-carriers may be divided to two sub-groupsof 27 sub-carriers, thus, the feedback data packet may include two CGIbits, if desired.

Although the scope of the present invention is not limited in thisrespect, transmitter system 240 may use a uniform modulation schema, forexample 16 QAM, 64 QAM, or the like, with adaptive spatial multiplex, onthe OFDM sub-carrier symbol.

Turning to FIG. 3, an illustration of OFDM sub-carrier symbols accordingto exemplary embodiments of the present invention is shown. Although thescope of the present invention is not limited in this respect, OFDM subcarriers 310 symbols, for example, S₁ ¹, S₂ ¹S₃ ¹, S₄ ¹, S₅ ¹ may betransmitted via a first antenna (e.g. antenna 220). In some embodimentsof the invention, OFDM sub carriers 320 symbols may be transmitted via asecond antenna (e.g. antenna 230). For example, OFDM sub carrier symbols320 may be divided into two groups. The first group, group 322, mayinclude OFDM sub carriers symbols S₁ ¹f₁(D) and S₂ ¹f₂(D) that may betransmitted in diversity (DIV) mode. It should be understood that S₁ ¹may represent a first symbol of group 1 and f₁(D) may represent a delay(D) function of group 1, if desired. For example, the delay functionƒ₁() may be ƒ₁ ^(−j2πƒ) ₁ ^(d). The second group, group 324 may includefor example, OFDM sub carriers symbols S₃ ², S₄ ¹, S₅ ², that may betransmitted in multiplexing (MUX) mode, although the scope of thepresent invention is not limited in this respect.

While certain features of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, andequivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is,therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended tocover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spiritof the invention.

1. A method comprising: adaptively selecting a coding mode of anorthogonal frequency division multiplexing sub-carrier symbol of a datastream according to a received channel state information that relates tothe orthogonal frequency division multiplexing sub-carrier.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, comprising coding the data stream generated by amultiple-in multiple-out receivers-transmitters system in a multiplexingmode.
 3. The method of claim 1, comprising coding the data streamgenerated a multiple-in multiple-out receivers-transmitters system in adiversity mode.
 4. The method of claim 1, comprising: adaptivelygrouping receivers according to a desired coding mode received with thereceived channel state information.
 5. The method of claim 1,comprising: coding symbols of a first subset of sub-carriers of anorthogonal frequency division multiplexing channel in a multiplexingmode; and coding symbols of a second subset of sub-carriers of anorthogonal frequency division multiplexing channel in a diversity mode.6. A method comprising: coding symbols of a first subset of sub-carriersof an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing channel in a firstmode; and coding symbols of a second subset of sub-carriers of anorthogonal frequency division multiplexing channel in a second mode. 7.The method of claim 6 comprising: transmitting a first group of symbolsof sub-carriers of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing channelvia a first antenna; and transmitting a second group of symbols ofsub-carriers of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing channelvia a second antenna.
 8. The method of claim 6 wherein transmitting thesecond group of symbols comprises: transmitting symbols of the firstsubset of sub-carriers of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexingchannel with a diversity mode and symbols of the second subset ofsub-carriers of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing channel ina multiplexing mode.
 9. An apparatus comprising: a coding mode selectorto select a coding mode of a symbol -of an orthogonal frequency divisionmultiplexing sub-carrier according to a received channel stateinformation that related to the orthogonal frequency divisionmultiplexing sub-carrier.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, furthercomprising: a channel state analyzer to select the coding mode based ona quality indicator of the orthogonal frequency division multiplexingsub-carrier.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising amultiple-in-multiple-out receivers transmitters system.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 9 wherein the coding mode comprises at least one of adiversity mode and a multiplexing mode.
 13. The apparatus of claim 9comprising: a first transmitter to transmit the symbol; and a secondtransmitter to transmit a coded symbol that is coded according to one ormore coding mode.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the coded symbolis coded either in a diversity mode or in a multiplexing mode.
 15. Theapparatus of claim 13 wherein the second transmitter is able to transmittwo or more coded symbols wherein at least some of the coded symbols arecoded according the diversity mode and at least some other coded symbolsare coded according to multiplexing mode.
 16. An apparatus comprising: acoding mode selector to select a coding mode of a symbol of anorthogonal frequency division multiplexing sub-carrier according to apredetermined criterion.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, furthercomprising: a first transmitter to transmit a first group of symbols ofsub-carriers of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing channelvia a first antenna; and a second transmitter to transmit a second groupof symbols of sub-carriers of an orthogonal frequency divisionmultiplexing channel via a second antenna.
 18. The apparatus of claim16, wherein the second group of symbols comprises symbols of the firstgroup of symbols coded according to a diversity mode and symbols of thesecond group of symbols coded according to a multiplexing mode.
 19. Awireless communication device comprising: a multiple-in-multiple-outreceivers transmitters system operably coupled to two or more dipoleantennas wherein, the multiple-in-multiple-out receivers transmitterssystem includes a transmitter system which includes a coding modeselector to select a coding mode of a symbol of an orthogonal frequencydivision multiplexing sub-carrier according to a received channel stateinformation that related to the orthogonal frequency divisionmultiplexing sub-carrier.
 20. The wireless communication device of claim19, wherein the transmitter system comprises: a channel state analyzerto select the coding mode based on a quality indicator of the orthogonalfrequency division multiplexing sub-carrier.
 21. The wirelesscommunication device of claim 19, wherein the coding mode comprises atleast one of a diversity mode and a multiplexing mode.
 22. The wirelesscommunication device of claim 19, wherein the transmitter systemcomprises: a first transmitter to transmit the symbol; and a secondtransmitter to transmit a coded symbol that is coded according to one ormore coding mode.
 23. The wireless communication device of claim 22,wherein the coded symbol is coded either in a diversity mode or in amultiplexing mode.
 24. The transmitter system of claim 22, wherein thesecond transmitter is able to transmit two or more coded symbols whereinat least some of the coded symbols are coded according the diversitymode and at least some other coded symbols are coded according tomultiplexing mode.
 25. A wireless communication system comprising: astation including a coding mode selector to select a coding mode of asymbol of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing sub-carrieraccording to a predetermined criterion.
 26. The wireless communicationsystem of claim 25, wherein the station comprises: a first transmitterto transmit a first group of symbols of sub-carriers of an orthogonalfrequency division multiplexing channel via a first antenna; and asecond transmitter to transmit a second group of symbols of sub-carriersof an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing channel via a secondantenna.
 27. The wireless communication system of claim 25, wherein thesecond group of symbols comprises symbols of the first group of symbolscoded according to a diversity mode coding scheme and symbols of thesecond group of symbols coded according to a multiplexing mode.
 28. Anarticle comprising: a storage medium, having stored thereoninstructions, when executed, result in: selecting a coding mode of anorthogonal frequency division multiplexing sub-carrier symbol of a datastream according to a received channel state information that relates tothe orthogonal frequency division multiplexing sub-carrier.
 29. Thearticle of claim 28, wherein the instructions, when executed, result in:coding the data stream generated by a multiple-in multiple-outreceivers-transmitters system in a multiplexing mode.
 30. The article ofclaim 28, wherein the instructions, when executed, result in: coding thedata stream generated a multiple-in multiple-out receivers-transmitterssystem in a diversity mode.
 31. The article of claim 28, wherein theinstructions, when executed, result in: adaptively grouping receiversaccording to a desired coding mode received with the received channelstate information.
 32. The article of claim 28, wherein theinstructions, when executed, result in: coding symbols of a first subsetof sub-carriers of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing channelin a multiplexing mode; and coding symbols of a second subset ofsub-carriers of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing channel ina diversity mode.